Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Prosociality
- Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
- The Cambridge Handbook of Prosociality
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Part I Development of Prosociality
- Part II Antecedents and Mechanisms of Prosociality
- Part III Development of Prosociality in Context
- Part IV Applications
- 26 Fostering Prosociality in the Family Context
- 27 Prosociality and Civic Engagement
- 28 Prosocial Behavior, Positive Youth Development, and Character Virtues
- 29 Relational Practices of Care to Nurture Prosociality and Advance Policy
- 30 Toward a New Era of Prosociality Research
- Afterword
- Index
- References
27 - Prosociality and Civic Engagement
from Part IV - Applications
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 May 2023
- The Cambridge Handbook of Prosociality
- Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
- The Cambridge Handbook of Prosociality
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Part I Development of Prosociality
- Part II Antecedents and Mechanisms of Prosociality
- Part III Development of Prosociality in Context
- Part IV Applications
- 26 Fostering Prosociality in the Family Context
- 27 Prosociality and Civic Engagement
- 28 Prosocial Behavior, Positive Youth Development, and Character Virtues
- 29 Relational Practices of Care to Nurture Prosociality and Advance Policy
- 30 Toward a New Era of Prosociality Research
- Afterword
- Index
- References
Summary
Prosocial development is considered foundational for youth civic engagement, yet associations between these two developmental domains is more complex and dynamic than typically recognized. This chapter examines theory and evidence linking prosociality and two main dimensions of civic engagement: civic helping and political engagement. Most research separately examines helping versus political engagement, given that different correlates and developmental processes are often evident. Positive youth development theory posits that adolescents’ caring and connections lead to civic contributions, and evidence lends support for bidirectional associations between civic helping and prosocial competencies. Youth political engagement is not as commonly studied in relation to prosocial development, but empathy combined with critical social analysis may support socially just political attitudes and actions, whereas other political attitudes are rooted in exclusion and inequality and antithetical to prosociality. Implications for theory, future research, and practice are also discussed.
Keywords
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- Information
- The Cambridge Handbook of ProsocialityDevelopment, Mechanisms, Promotion, pp. 542 - 559Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023
References
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